Police have launched a murder investigation after discovering that a teenager whose body was found in a crashed car was dead before the collision.
The body of 16-year-old Megan Bannister was found in the back seat of a black Vauxhall Astra that had collided with a motorcycle in Enderby, Leicestershire, on Sunday morning.
Two men aged 27 and 28 are being questioned after their arrest on suspicion of murder on Monday.
While an initial postmortem was inconclusive, police said the girl’s injuries were not consistent with a car crash. Further tests are being conducted to establish the cause of her death.
In a statement, Megan’s family described her as “a beautiful, talented, loving daughter and sister”.
“Our hearts have been utterly broken by her death. The thought of life without Megan is impossible to imagine, and we cannot adequately express in words the sense of numbness and overwhelming grief we feel at her loss. She was a bright, clever, and responsible person who loved her family and her many friends.
“She had a strong self-will and had set her heart on training to become a midwife. Knowing how confident and determined she was, we have no doubt she would have realised that dream.”
Wigston College, where Megan had been due to sit her GCSE exams this week, paid tribute to the “funny, friendly” student. “She liked people and they liked her and this is how we will remember her,” the college said. “Our thoughts are very much with her family at this impossibly difficult time.”
The rider of the motorcycle sustained serious injuries in the crash and is being treated at Queen’s medical centre in Nottingham. His passenger sustained minor injuries.
